Guide to the Papers of T.W. Bearup

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MS 7290, MS Acc11.167, MS Acc12.004

National Library of Australia View Catalogue Record

Collection Summary

Creator: Bearup , T. W., OBE (Thomas William)
Title: Papers of T. W. Bearup
Date Range: 1916-2001
Collection Number: MS 7290, MS Acc11.167, MS Acc12.004
Extent: 3.36 metres (16 ms boxes + 1 non-standard carton + 1 small poster tube + 2 phase boxes + two folio items + 25 sound/av carriers)
Physical Facet: MS 7290: (16 ms boxes + 1 non-standard carton + 1 small poster tube + 2 phase boxes + two folio items)NOTE: MS 7290 has 4 folio items: 2 are housed in Shared Box SB-000430; 2 are housed in individual custom phase boxes in HW.
Language of Materials: English
Repository: Special Collections (Manuscripts)

Introduction

Scope and Contents

The papers date from 1916 to 1980 and reflect Bearup's continuing interest and involvement in broadcasting. The collection includes personal and business correspondence; diaries and notebooks; copies of speeches, broadcasts, articles or accounts written by Bearup or others; pamphlets, booklets, journals, and books; programmes, menus, cards, and invitations; certificates and other personal papers; some family papers; photographs, drawings, maps and plans; badges and other objects; and press clippings. In addition, there are also some papers relating to the various positions Bearup occupied during his broadcasting career. A large proportion of the material in this collection covers the period from 1946 to 1962 which Bearup spent in London as the Australian Broadcasting Commission's (ABC) overseas representative.

Conditions Governing Access

Access restrictions may apply to this collection, please refer to the collection's catalogue record for further information (http://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn1089446).

Conditions Governing Use

Copying and publishing of unpublished manuscript material is subject to copyright restrictions. For such material, written permission to publish must be obtained from the copyright holder(s). Copying of unpublished material for research purposes is permissible 50 years after the death of the creator of the material.

Preferred Citation

Items from this collection should be cited as '[Title or description of manuscript item], Papers of T.W. Bearup, National Library of Australia, [class number, series and/or file number]'.

Provenance

The bulk of the Bearup Papers were received between 1979 and 1987 from T.W. Bearup and his daughter Cecilie Bearup. The main body of material was donated by Bearup in 1982. The material contained in Series 14 was donated by Bearup in 1979, and was formerly held at MS 1868.

Two small additions were made in 2011 and 2012.

Biographical Note

Known as Bill to his colleagues, Thomas William Bearup was closely connected with Australian broadcasting from its beginnings in 1923 until his death in 1980. He was awarded an OBE in recognition of his contribution to this field.

Bearup was born in Hamilton, Victoria on 18 August 1897. In 1916 he joined the marine service of Amalgamated Wireless (Australasia) (AWA) as a wireless operator. After five years at sea, he was appointed to AWA's experimental wireless station at Koo-Wee-Rup in Victoria. When that station closed down in 1922, Bearup acted as AWA's Melbourne inspector. In 1923 he travelled to England where he continued to be involved in radio. Upon his return to Australia, he joined the Australian Broadcasting Company and was appointed Studio Manager of the Melbourne radio station, 3LO. In 1929, Bearup became Victorian Manager, a position he retained when the Australian Broadcasting Commission was established in 1932. Bearup's association with the ABC was to last thirty years. In 1936, he spent nine months overseas investigating the broadcasting scene in the United States and Great Britain. From 1937 to 1945, he served the ABC as Assistant General Manager and he was also Acting General Manager from 1940 to 1943 and in 1945. In 1946, Bearup was posted to London as the ABC's Overseas Representative and he held this position until his retirement from the ABC in 1962. As part of his duties he also visited the United States during this period. Bearup was Chairman of radio station 5DN (Adelaide) and a director of the Macquarie Broadcasting Services from 1964 to 1976.

Bearup was also a Freeman and Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Musicians of the City of London, a life member of the Radio Institute of Radio Engineers (U.S.) and, for 47 years, he was a member of Rotary clubs in Melbourne, Sydney, London and Adelaide. This long service was recognised when he was awarded the Paul Harris Fellowship just before his death. In 1925, he married Dorothy Watson and they had two daughters, Judith and Cecilie. Bearup's wife died in 1979 and he died a year later, at his home in the Adelaide suburb of Belair, on 15 June 1980, aged 82.

Biographical Reference(s)

Who's who in Australia, 1977.

Melbourne Herald and Weekly Times, 1977.

Item Descriptions

Class MS 7290. Original Consignments

Comprises correspondence, diaries, notebooks, speeches, broadcasts, writings, programs, menus, invitations, family papers, photographs and publications. Many of the papers date from 1946-62 when Thomas Bearup was the London representative of the ABC. Correspondents include Sir Richard Boyer, Sir Charles Moses, Talbot Duckmanton, A.N. Finlay, Sir William Haley and Arthur Mason.

Contained in 16 boxes + 3 folios.

Series 1. General correspondence, 1916-1980

This series includes correspondence dating from 1916 to 1980 and contains letters sent to Bearup and, usually, copies of letters sent by Bearup to other people. Most of the correspondence was written during the period Bearup was stationed in London (1946-1962). Family correspondents include his wife, daughters, and Joseph Bowman, Bearup's uncle. A lot of these letters were written in 1946 when Bearup visited America while his family remained in England. In addition to family correspondence, many of the letters were written by ABC officials such as Sir Richard Boyer, Sir Charles Moses, A.N. Finlay, T.S. Duckmanton and A. Mason and others connected with broadcasting, such as Sir William Haley of the BBC. Some of the later letters Bearup received were from members of the public enquiring about some aspect of Australian broadcasting history. The letters in this series have been arranged chronologically with undated letters placed at the end. Some correspondence also appears in Series 4 to 6.

Series 2. Diaries and notebooks, 1919-1962

The diaries begin in January 1919 and finish in 1962 but do not cover every year within this period. Most of the diaries were handwritten but entries in 1950-1951 and 1959-1962 were typed on loose pages. The diaries cover the years 1919-1921, 1924-1932, 1937-1951 and 1959-1962. The earlier diaries describe in some detail Bearup's travels (1919-1921), his reflections on broadcasting and other topics, and his early career in broadcasting. These also provide insight to the problems and achievements of the Australian Broadcasting Company and the early days of the Commission. Entries tend to be briefer in later years, comprising mainly appointments, activities and phone calls received by Bearup. Some press clippings are interleaved with the diaries. There are three notebooks in this series none, of which are dated. One contains clippings and notes on early radio equipment. In the second there is a description of Bearup's life from 1914 to about 1924 and the last contains study notes. The first two notebooks have been placed at the end of the series, while the third is joined to one of the diaries.

Series 3. Studio Manager of 3LO, 1926-1928

Bearup was Studio Manager for Melbourne's radio station, 3LO, from 1924 to 1929, but few documents have been received relating to this period in his life. This very small series contains only four items, three of which are typed reports by Bearup on the effectiveness of two Sydney radio stations in 1926 and 1928. The remaining document, which is undated, relates to Reuter's news service.

Series 4. Victorian Manager of the ABC, 1930-1935

Bearup became Victorian Manager of the Australian Broadcasting Company in 1929 and he kept the position when the Australian Broadcasting Commission was formed in 1932. This series includes a file of newsclippings, reports, and memoranda arranged by Bearup under such subject headings as Programming, School Broadcasts, Religious Broadcasts, Children Sessions, Studio Buildings and News Services. The documents range in date from the early 1930s to 1935. Some separate documents which discuss broadcasting programming and problems generally have been placed at the end of the series and are arranged in chronological order.

Series 5. Assistant General Manager of the ABC, 1936-1945

Some of Bearup's duties as Assistant General Manager (1937-1945) were to liaise with the Post Office in connection with technical services and to be in charge of development and these are reflected in some of the documents contained in this series. Most of series 5, however, comprises a file on overseas representation and minutes of the meetings of the Commission from January 1941 to June 1943. The file, kept by Bearup, covers the years 1936 to 1945, although most of the material is dated 1943 or 1945. Included in this file are reports, memoranda, and correspondence concerning Bearup's investigation trip to America and England in 1936 and deliberations on the appointment of an overseas representative. The minutes of the Commission's meetings discuss Church, school, political and children's broadcasting, news services, proposed studios, and internal staffing matters. On two occasions (1940-1943, 1945), Bearup was Acting General Manager and his statement to a hearing of the Commission in March 1945 concerning his use of the title in 1944 when Moses (the General Manager) was on leave in Perth is also included in this series.

Series 6. Overseas Representative for the ABC, 1945-1962

Stationed in London from 1946 to 1962 as the ABC's Overseas Representative, Bearup's duties included liaising with the BBC and other broadcasting organisations in London, supervising the ABC's London news office, and negotiating with British artists, writers and others. As part of his duties, Bearup visited the United States in 1946. The material in this series ranges in date from 1945 to 1962, although most of it relates to the periods between 1950 and 1953, and 1959 and 1961. It comprises memoranda, minutes, reports and correspondence which cover such topics as Bearup's duties and salary, news from Australia concerning the ABC, expenditure estimates, staffing matters, and artist tours which Bearup himself arranged. Also included in this series are booklets and press releases relating to Queen Elizabeth II's coronation in 1953.

Series 7. Writings, speeches and broadcasts

Subseries 7A. By Bearup

This subseries mainly comprises transcripts of two oral history tapes made for the ABC in 1968 and 1969 in which Bearup describes his memories of the early days of broadcasting in Australia, the problems encountered, and his opinions on various people connected with broadcasting. The first tape spans the years 1923 to 1936 and the second tape covers the period 1936 to 1945. Several copies of a speech Bearup made to the Ohio State University in 1946 on 'Radio's role in Australia' are also included.

Subseries 7B. By others

Included here are typed copies of quotations, articles, speeches, letters to the editor, poems, and extracts from books all made or written by people other than Bearup. Most of the material covers some aspect of broadcasting, although there are also documents on Australian topics such as Governor Macquarie and 'Australian names'. Items of particular interest are a copy of an address by Pope John XXIII to the delegates of an International Conference on broadcasting, a copy of a thesis sent to Bearup by its author, Lyn Gash, on the history of the ABC's Children's Session, and a speech by W.J. Cleary on National broadcasting made in 1940.

Subseries 7C. Unidentified

This subseries comprises material which gives no indication of authorship. There are typed comments on a report by the Chairman of the Australian Broadcasting Company on 'The future of broadcasting in the Commonwealth of Australia', a copy of a hymn sung at a staff luncheon in 1938 in praise of C.J.A. Moses, a piece on the Argonaut's Club, a speech farewelling W.J. Cleary in 1945 and other writings on topics connected with broadcasting. Bearup had a long and active interest in Rotary and two speeches on broadcasting given at Rotary meetings in 1931 and 1948 are also included in this subseries.

Series 8. Programmes, menus, cards and invitations

The programmes, menus and invitations spanning the years 1927 to 1974 which comprise this series, have been arranged chronologically with undated items placed towards the end. Much of the material in this series relates to broadcasting. Of particular interest are programmes of the inaugural broadcast of 2CO Corowa in 1931, a '3LO Gala Night Performance' in 1929, and a short wave world transmission broadcast in 1927. There are invitations to 3LO's Christmas parties for children and studio invitations to 7ZL (Hobart), 5CL (Adelaide), and 3LO. The menus include a Commonwealth of Australia Jubilee Dinner in 1951 and a dinner held in honour of an ABC officer which contains the autographs of many well-known ABC personalities. One undated Christmas card has also been placed in this series.

Series 9. Personal and family papers

This fairly small series contains Bearup's certificates, membership and identification cards, military service papers including Bearup's discharge certificates from 1916 to 1923, letters of introduction written for Bearup in 1936 and 1945 to 1946, and a few job applications which were written by Bearup early in his broadcasting career. In addition to Bearup's will, there are also the wills of his wife and mother-in-law. Correspondence written after Bearup's death relating to his estate have been included in this series as well. Many of Bearup's certificates, some of which are framed, have been placed in Folio 1.

Series 10. Pictorial material

Subseries 10A. Photographs

This subseries comprises three photograph albums and many loose photographs ranging in date from 1916 to 1963. The photographs of Bearup also span this period. In addition, there are a few photographs of him with members of his family. Two of the albums are collections of photographs taken from 1916 to 1920 when Bearup was a sea-going wireless operator and they show Bearup himself, his shipboard companions, and the places he visited. The third album contains pictures of Bearup's retirement party in 1962 and show him with many of his BBC friends. Loose photographs have been grouped under broad chronological headings but no attempt has been made to sort within these groups. Photographs taken in the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s show, for example, 3LO's first broadcast and early radio equipment. Most of the photographs, however, were taken in the 1950s and early 1960s and their subjects include ABC and BBC personnel, and the ABC's London office and staff. Nearly all the photographs are black-and-white and most are labelled.

Subseries 10B. Postcards

Three postcard albums and some loose postcards have been brought together to form this subseries. The albums contain postcards collected during Bearup's travels as a ship's wireless operator and they show places in the United States, Canada, and elsewhere. The loose postcards show 3LO broadcasting artists and the 3LO children's parties. Some of them are signed by the people depicted in the postcards.

Subseries 10C. Miscellaneous pictorial material

This small series includes plans of the ABC offices in Sydney dated 1946 and 1948, three maps showing Australian radio coverage in 1934, caricatures of Bearup, and drawings of Bearup and his wife done in Paris in 1950. See also Folio 4.

Series 11. Printed material

The booklets, pamphlets, journals, parliamentary material, and books which make up this series mostly relate to some aspect of broadcasting and have been arranged by form. There are booklets on 'Wireless hints', brief histories of the ABC and radio in Australia, and publicity material for several radio stations with which Bearup was associated. There are also a number of broadcasting journals but there are only one or two issues of each and the earliest dates back to 1936. The exception is the ABC staff journal, Radio Active, for which there are several issues ranging in date from May 1961 to March 1975. Copies of journals have been placed in the folio run (Folio 2). Bearup also had copies of some of the Australian Broadcasting Acts and reports of the 1927 Royal Commission on the Wireless and other parliamentary material. Most of the books deal with the history of the ABC, Australian radio, or broadcasting generally. Some of the material in this series, notably the books and parliamentary material, has been marked or annotated by Bearup.

Series 12. Press clippings, 1921-1980

The clippings range in date from 1921 to 1980 and have been taken from Australian and overseas newspapers and journals such as the Argus, Sun, Sydney Morning Herald, Australian, Listener In, Times, and the New York Times. Subjects include Bearup himself, obituaries of ABC personalities, ABC appointments and resignations, and other matters connected with broadcasting. Of particular interest are clippings of the letter Bearup sent to various national newspapers on January 4, 1977 in which he recalled W.J. Cleary's resignation in 1945 and Curtin's acknowledgement of the ABC's 'special position'. Some of the early clippings have been pasted into two exercise books; the majority, however, are loose. These have been arranged chronologically, with undated articles placed at the end. A few press clippings also appear in Series 1-2, and 4-6.

Series 13. Objects

This very small series comprises a couple of badges, Bearup's signature stamp, a cigarette case, and an inkstand. Both the cigarette case and inkstand were presented by colleagues. The inkstand can be found in Folio 3.

Series 14. Miscellaneous papers

This series contains photocopies of two typescript reports written by Bearup in 1944 concerning building plans and 'The development of a national broadcasting service in Australia', and a photocopy of a letter written by Bearup in 1979 outlining his part in introducing maternity leave for ABC staff in 1939 and 1940. These documents were donated by Bearup in 1979 and were formerly accessioned at MS 1868.

Series. Audiovisual material

[Untitled] (Item NLA.MS-SAV011949) - Shelf-Tall OH2-9-007

1 item, E.K. Co, 16mm film

[Untitled] (Item NLA.MS-SAV011950) - Shelf-Tall OH2-9-007

1 item, E.K. Co, 16mm film

II (Item NLA.MS-SAV011951) - Shelf-Tall OH2-9-007

1 item, Kodascope Reel, 16mm film

IV (Item NLA.MS-SAV011952) - Shelf-Tall OH2-9-007

1 item, E.K. Co, 16mm film

No.I (Item NLA.MS-SAV011953) - Shelf-Tall OH2-9-007

1 item, Kodascope Reel, 16mm film

No III (Item NLA.MS-SAV011954) - Shelf-Tall OH2-9-007

1 item, Kodascope Reel, 16mm film

Stratheden, Hobart. C.1117 (Item NLA.MS-SAV011955) - Shelf-Tall OH2-9-007

1 item, 16mm film

Pat wedding Jock. Received 3 Sep 1942. S2466, 3/09/1942 (Item NLA.MS-SAV011956) - Shelf-Tall OH2-9-007

1 item, Kodak Super-X, 16mm film

30 Oct 1942, S2039, 30/10/1942 (Item NLA.MS-SAV011957) - Shelf-Tall OH2-9-007

1 item, Kodak Super-X, 16mm film

Nov 1942. C1052, Nov-42 (Item NLA.MS-SAV011958) - Shelf-Tall OH2-9-007

1 item, Kodak Super-X, 16mm film

82831' (Item NLA.MS-SAV011959) - Shelf-Tall OH2-9-007

1 item, Cine Kodak, 16mm film

Kammblae [?] Hay S.2284 (Item NLA.MS-SAV011960) - Shelf-Tall OH2-9-007

1 item, Cine Kodak, 16mm film

Craggielea Saltbush. S. 2346 (Item NLA.MS-SAV011961) - Shelf-Tall OH2-9-007

1 item, Cine Kodak, 16mm film

King's Highway Beaches C. 1580 (Item NLA.MS-SAV011962) - Shelf-Tall OH2-9-007

1 item, Cine Kodak, 16mm film